Here is what you need to know about the causative in English.

Causative # 1 – HAVE/GET SOMETHING DONE

This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask them to do it , but you don’t say who this person is.

Examples:

HAVE / GET

SOMETHING

DONE

He had / got

his hair

cut.

She didn’t have / get

her teeth

checked.

I had / got

the leak in the roof

fixed.

Did you have / get

the TV

repaired?

Causative # 2 – HAVE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that someone does something for you because you pay or ask them to do it, but you also say who this person is.

Examples:

HAVE

SOMEONE

DO SOMETHING

The teacher had

the students

write a test.

I’ll have

my assistant

call you with the details.

I had

the handyman

fix the leak.

Did you have

the electrician

repair the TV

Causative # 3 – GET SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING

This means someone does something for you because you persuade (= encourage, tell them that you’d like them to do something) them to do it. So this construction feels less neutral than the previous ones.

Examples:

GET

SOMEONE

TO DO SOMETHING

I (finally) got

my kids

to go to bed.

I can never get

my wife

to cook dinner.

Can you ever get

your sisters

to stop fighting?

Kevin got

his brothers

to take him on an adventure.

Causative # 4 – MAKE SOMEONE DO SOMETHING

This means that you force someone/something to do something for you.

Examples:

MAKE

SOMEONE/SOMETHING

DO SOMETHING

You make

your hips

sway.

Don’t make

her (Sarah)

cry.

The teacher made

him (Peter)

work hard.

Why do you make

them (your parents)

worry so much about you?

Causative # 5 – LET SOMEONE/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING

This means that you allow ( = let, give permission to do something) someone to do something or you allow something to happen.

Examples:

LET

SOMEONE/SOMETHING

DO SOMETHING

She let

the kids

stay up past midnight.

I let

the chicken

burn in the oven.

Why did he let

this

happen?

Let

me

go!

Causative # 6 – HELP SOMEONE (to) DO SOMETHING

This means that you help ( = assist) someone (to) do something. This structure is most often used without ‘to’.